Minkah Fitzpatrick becomes highest paid Safety in NFL History
via steelerswire.usatoday.com
The Pittsburgh Steelers and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick agreed to huge contract extension on Wednesday, making Minkah the highest paid safety in NFL history at only 25 years of age. The new deal is a four-year extension that is worth more than 18.4 million a year and is guaranteed 36 million at signing, confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“I am very excited,” said Fitzpatrick. “I am still kind of in shock right now. It’s a blessing. I am really excited. It’s just the beginning. I am appreciative. I am thankful. Now I just want to keep on chopping.”
The five-year contract includes the new four-year extension that starts in 2023 on top of the one-year Fitzpatrick had left on his rookie contract. Fitzpatrick’s new deal puts him above Seattle’s Jamal Adams’ contract who previously held the spot for highest paid safety at 17.5 million per year.
“It’s more of that, that I’m trying hold myself to, rather than say, ‘I got paid, so now I’ve got to play well.’ It’s no, these guys trust me with this amount of money, this amount of responsibility, so now it’s my duty to go out there and play at a high level and show them that I deserve this compensation.”
This is the first major contract that new General Manger Omar Khan has negotiated. It also didn’t take long for the deal to get done as it took only a few weeks.
“We are very excited to sign Minkah to a new five-year contract,” Khan said. “Minkah is one of the top safeties in the NFL and we are thrilled he will be in Pittsburgh through at least the next five years. When we traded for him, we knew he was going to be an integral part of our defense, and we look forward to that continuing as we prepare for the upcoming season.”
According to ESPN, since the Steelers traded for Fitzpatrick, the Steelers defense has allowed the lowest Total QBR and completion rate, along with the best defensive efficiency. The Steelers have the highest paid defense in the NFL led by Minkah Fitzpatrick, T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward.